About Personal Auto Insurance

Learn the basics about filing claims, taking inventory and other topics related to Auto insurance.

Chances are you already have auto insurance or will need it one day. To help you become an informed insurance consumer, we’re happy to answer some frequently asked questions about protecting vehicles and their occupants.

What is auto insurance?

Auto insurance protects you against financial loss if you have an accident. It is a contract between you and the insurance company. You agree to pay the premium and the insurance company agrees to pay your losses as defined in your policy.

Medical coverage pays for the cost of treating injuries, rehabilitation and sometimes lost wages and funeral expenses.

An auto insurance policy is comprised of six different kinds of coverage. Most states require you to buy some, but not all, of these coverages. If you’re financing a car, your lender may also have requirements.

Most auto policies range from six months to one year, New Jersey Skylands issues annual or twelve month policies. Your insurance company should notify you by mail when it’s time to renew the policy and to pay your premium.

What is a basic auto policy?

A basic policy is a low-cost policy that provides minimum benefits. Under a basic policy, the following coverages and limits are required by law.

Personal Injury Protection (PIP)

Personal Injury Protection or PIP is often called “no-fault” coverage because it pays for injuries to a policyholder and their passengers, no matter who is at fault in an accident.

A basic policy offers $15,000 in personal injury protection coverage and includes up to $250,000 of medical benefits for catastrophic-type injuries.

Insurers will pay PIP benefits over the deductible amount chosen. PIP deductibles range from the minimum deductible of $250 and up to $2,500. After the deductible is paid, there is a 20% co-payment on medical expenses up to $5,000 after which the insurer pays 100%.

Property Damage Liability Coverage (PD)

Property damage liability coverage pays to repair damage to other people’s property caused by a covered automobile. This type of coverage also pays legal defense and settlement costs up to the limits of coverage. Under a basic policy, $5,000 of property damage liability coverage is mandated and higher limits CANNOT be purchased.

What is standard auto policy coverage?

Your auto policy may include six coverages. Each coverage is priced separately.

Auto insurance provides property, liability and medical coverage:

Bodily Injury Liability
This coverage applies to injuries you, the designated driver or policyholder cause to someone else. You and family members listed on the policy are also covered when driving someone else’s car with their permission.It’s very important to have enough liability insurance, because if you are involved in a serious accident, you may be sued for a large sum of money. Definitely consider buying more than the state-required minimum to protect assets such as your home and savings.

Medical Payments or Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
This coverage pays for the treatment of injuries to the driver and passengers of the policyholder’s car. At its broadest, PIP can cover medical payments, lost wages and the cost of replacing services normally performed by someone injured in an auto accident. It may also cover funeral costs.

Property Damage Liability
This coverage pays for damage you (or someone driving the car with your permission) may cause to someone else’s property. Usually, this means damage to someone else’s car, but it also includes damage to lamp posts, telephone poles, fences, buildings or other structures your car hit.

Collision
This coverage pays for damage to your car resulting from a collision with another car, object or as a result of flipping over. It also covers damage caused by potholes. Collision coverage is generally sold with a deductible of $250 to $1,000-the higher your deductible, the lower your premium. Even if you are at fault for the accident, your collision coverage will reimburse you for the costs of repairing your car, minus the deductible. If you’re not at fault, your insurance company may try to recover the amount they paid you from the other driver’s insurance company. If they are successful, you’ll also be reimbursed for the deductible.

Comprehensive
This coverage reimburses you for loss due to theft or damage caused by something other than a collision with another car or object, such as fire, falling objects, missiles, explosion, earthquake, windstorm, hail, flood, vandalism, riot, or contact with animals such as birds or deer.Comprehensive insurance is usually sold with a $100 to $1,000 deductible.Comprehensive insurance will also reimburse you if your windshield is cracked or shattered.

States do not require that you purchase collision or comprehensive coverage, but if you have a car loan, your lender may insist you carry it until your loan is paid off.
Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage

This coverage will reimburse you, a member of your family, or a designated driver if one of you is hit by an uninsured or hit-and-run driver.

Underinsured motorist coverage comes into play when an at-fault driver has insufficient insurance to pay for your total loss. This coverage will also protect you if you are hit as a pedestrian.

Can I drive legally without insurance?

NO! In New Jersey, consumers are required by law to purchase either a standard or basic automobile insurance policy. The standard policy provides a wide variety of coverage options that are not available under the basic policy. State law requires vehicle owners to purchase certain minimum limits of liability and first-party medical coverage as well as carry an Insurance Identification Card.

What if I lease a car?

If you lease a car, you still need to buy your own auto insurance policy. The auto dealer or bank that is financing the car will require you to buy collision and comprehensive coverage. You’ll need to buy these coverages in addition to the others that may be mandatory in your state, such as auto liability insurance.

Collision covers the damage to the car from an accident with another automobile or object.

Comprehensive covers a loss that is caused by something other than a collision with another car or object, such as a fire or theft or collision with a deer.

The leasing company may also require “gap” insurance. This refers to the fact that if you have an accident and your leased car is damaged beyond repair or “totaled,” there’s likely to be a difference between the amount that you still owe the auto dealer and the check you’ll get from your insurance company. That’s because the insurance company’s check is based on the car’s actual cash value which takes into account depreciation. The difference between the two amounts is known as the “gap.”

On a leased car, the cost of gap insurance is generally rolled into the lease payments. You don’t actually buy a gap policy. Generally, the auto dealer buys a master policy from an insurance company to cover all the cars it leases and charges you for a “gap waiver.” This means that if your leased car is totaled, you won’t have to pay the dealer the gap amount. Check with the auto dealer when leasing your car.

Do I need insurance to rent a car?

When renting a car, you need insurance. If you have adequate insurance on your own car, including collision and comprehensive, this may be enough.

Before you rent a car:

Contact your insurance Agent. Find out how much coverage you have on your own car. In most cases, the coverage and deductibles you have on your personal auto policy would apply to a rental car, providing it’s used for pleasure and not business.
Call your credit card company. Find out what insurance your card provides. Levels of coverage vary.
If you don’t have auto insurance, you will need to buy coverage at the car rental counter. The following coverages are available to you at the rental car counter:

1. Collision Damage Waiver (CDW).

Sometimes called a Loss Damage Waiver (LDW), this coverage relieves you of financial responsibility if your rental car is damaged or stolen. The CDW may be void, however, if you cause an accident by speeding, driving on unpaved roads or driving while intoxicated. This coverage generally costs between $9 and $12 a day.

2. Liability Insurance.

This provides excess liability coverage of up to $1 million for the time you rent a car. Rental companies are required by law to provide the minimum level of liability insurance required by your state. Generally, this does not offer enough protection in a serious accident. If you have adequate liability coverage on your car or an umbrella policy on your home/auto, you may consider forgoing this additional insurance. It generally costs about $7 to $9 a day. If you don’t own a car, and rent cars often, consider purchasing a non-owner liability policy. This costs approximately $200 – $300 per year. Frequent car renters sometimes find this more cost-effective than constantly paying for the extra liability coverage.

3. Personal Accident Insurance.

This provides coverage to you and your passengers for medical/ambulance bills. This type of insurance usually costs about $3 per day, but may be unnecessary if you are covered by health insurance or have adequate medical coverage under your auto policy.

4. Personal Effects Coverage.

This provides coverage for the theft of personal items in your car. However, if you have homeowners or renters insurance, you may be covered for items stolen from the car, minus your deductible. You need to have receipts or other proof of ownership. This type of insurance usually costs about $1.25 per day.

Some rental car companies combine personal accident and personal effects coverage together as one type of insurance, while others sell it individually.

The cost of insurance at the rental car counter will vary depending on the rental car company, state, and location of the dealer and the type of car you rent.

Some rental car companies may check your credit and driving history and may deny coverage. Check with the rental car company to find out its policy.

Note: If you’re renting a car abroad, you may need an international driver’s license.

Join Us On Facebook

In a Hurry? Contact Us Here

Your First Name (required)

Your Last Name (required)

Your Email (required)

Re-Enter Your Email (required)

Name Of Your Company or type of business if seeking commercial insurance (required)